Scans show hidden chambers in King Tut’s tomb, possible resting place of Queen Nefertiti

The discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922 (KV62) in the Valley of the Kings was one of the most significant archaeological finds of the past century. Up to that point, most of the Egyptian tombs found had been heavily looted for the jewelry and other valuable objects they contained. Tutankhamun’s tomb, in contrast, was largely intact — and it may have even more to tell us about the history of Ancient Egypt.

A recent investigation into the tomb to probe for hidden rooms or passages suggests there are hidden areas behind the walls of the ancient burial site — areas that might contain the remains of one of ancient Egypt’s most iconic and unusual rulers.

Tutankhamun’s tomb

Tutankhamun’s tomb is the most complete ever discovered, but it’s also highly idiosyncratic compared to other royal burial chambers. It’s small, and only partially decorated. Past archaeologists have theorized that the tomb was prepared for a private individual, and was repurposed to meet the needs of the young pharaoh at the last minute. The goods, jewelry, and ceremonial items stored within the tomb were found in a state of “organized chaos,” and looters are known to have penetrated the structure at least twice in antiquity.

Some of Tutankhamun’s artifacts, including his iconic burial mask, may not have been crafted for him at all. The mask’s features are feminine and it includes pierced ears, which are normally only depicted on women and children. The pharaoh is depicted as Osiris in the paintings on the north wall. No other known ruler over 400 years was depicted in this style. Elements of Tutankhamun’s preservation and presentation also imply he was deliberately embalmed to create a link between himself and depictions of Osiris, as cataloged by National Geographic.

Now, radar scans of KV62 have revealed that the walls of the tomb are hiding other secrets. Data from those scans shows not just evidence of hidden chambers, but a collection of both organic and inorganic objects. These findings built on a paper published by Nicholas Reeves, a British archaeologist whose specialty is the Valley of the Kings. Reeves’ hypothesized that KV62 could contain two hidden rooms, as shown on the floor plan below in yellow.

Proposed original tomb design (now validated)

Reeves argues that up to 80% of the grave goods found in KV62 were repurposed and originally intended for other individuals. The treasure and sacred objects that were buried with the pharaoh may have actually been intended for Nefertiti, who may have ruled Egypt after the death of Tutankhamun’s father, Akhenaten. And his work — detailed in a 51-page paper linked above — describes traces of entrances to hidden passages that the Ancient Egyptians cut, then filled in.

In fact, if you assume that the hidden chambers were intended to be part of the tomb, the oddities associated with KV62’s construction almost entirely vanish. The proposed original entrance matches the size of the tomb’s initial entranceway and the position of the missing rooms would conform to known Egyptian burial practices in the 18th Dynasty. Other evidence includes the fact that the north wall of the tomb is now known to have been painted in an entirely different manner, style, and possibly time period compared with the paintings that decorate the rest of the tomb. The tomb’s design (it curves right rather than left), the features on Tutankhamun’s burial mask, and the original features of the north wall paintings — all of them point to a tomb originally meant for a woman.

The western wall’s surface map, door outlined in red. High-resolution images available at factum-arte.

Reeves believes that the woman associated with the tomb might be none other than Nefertiti, one of the most powerful women in ancient Egypt. If true, King Tutankhamun’s own tomb might contain the remains of one of the most iconic women of Ancient Egypt.

Now that outside experts have reviewed and validated the measurements taken in KV62, the next steps are unclear. Any attempt to re-open the long-sealed chambers would necessitate destroying the current walls and paintings. But now that we know there are, indeed, hidden areas still within the tomb complex, it’s likely that Egyptian archaeologists will develop a plan to open the area.

Why Tutankhamen fascinates us

Some of the interest in Tutankhamun is related to the period in which he lived. His father, Akhenaten, was a radical reformer who abandoned Egyptian polytheism in favor of worshipping a single god, Aten. He attempted to destroy the traditional religious practices of his people and even constructed an entire new capital, Akhetaten (now called Amarna). This was a time of tremendous upheaval, and records from the period are less than clear on a number of salient details.

Tutankhamun became pharaoh at the age of 9 or 10 and began to undo his father’s various reforms, returning the capital to Thebes and restoring traditional Egyptian religious practices, including worship of the god Amun. Modern medicine has shown that the pharaoh suffered from multiple medical conditions, including a deformed left foot and DNA from several different strains of malaria. His left thigh was also fractured at some point, and he walked with the aid of a cane.

Our understanding of King Tut’s life and death have evolved considerably over the last few decades. While Akhenaten’s great royal wife was Nefertiti, one of the most powerful women in ancient Egyptian history, whether she was actually the mother of Tutankhamun is still debated. The so-called Younger Lady, a mummy discovered in tomb KV35, has been confirmed as Tutankhamun’s mother, but her identity is debated. Egyptian pharaohs typically married their siblings, and this confounding variable makes genetic analysis much less certain. Whoever she was, she was killed by a blow to the face that would have made Heath Ledger’s Joker flinch.

Nefertiti by Thutmose

And then, of course, there’s Nefertiti. She’s often shown in positions of power typically reserved for the pharaoh himself, and she may be one of a handful of women to have ever ruled Ancient Egypt as sole regent. Her iconic bust by Thutmose is a beautiful testament to Egyptian craftsmanship. For all of this, we have no idea where she’s buried, despite more than a century of searching.

When you combine the tragedy of a young ruler’s sudden death, religious upheaval, scandalous behavior, disturbing deaths, and a mystery now more than 3,300 years old, it’s easy to see why the story of this ancient dynasty still fascinates the modern mind. If Queen Nefertiti is indeed buried in KV62, that discovery will fuel decades of fresh research and analysis — particularly if her tomb, like her successor’s, has remained largely intact through the centuries.

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I really enjoyed the depth and quality of the writing in this article – thank you Joel!

Obsidian71

I like the Tut finding because it represents the only Tomb that was found undisturbed as the Egyptians left it. Incredible.

Joel Hruska

Well, it had been looted twice and sealed again, apparently by officials. So it wasn’t exactly undisturbed. But yes, it represents the greatest single haul of artifacts that we’ve ever found.

Kyle

I love articles like this. I really hope they go in and see what is behind the walls. They could just drill a small hold and stick a light and camera through to start.

squint9

Seems like the whiz kids with radar and such could figure out an alternate means of entry given the modular way pyramids are constructed. Who says one has to use the door, eh?

Joel Hruska

It’s not a pyramid. By the time Tut ruled, the Egyptians were carving tombs in rock, not building pyramids.

The Great Pyramids are so old, Cleopatra lived closer to *our* time than she did to theirs. And she’s 2000 years old.

Samira Peri

I’m waiting for someone to find a Stargate.

The Watson

There will be a way into the hidden tomb, they thought they needed everything there after life. I still wonder about the crafting if these busts/etc. Why do they all have alien looking eyes. Seems intentional, look at the quality & color of the rest of the bust.

John

Why not drill a small hole or holes straight down from above into the proposed neighboring rooms? No need to drill from tut’s tomb. Then if something great is found, a new excavation into the new area can eventually be designed that minimally disrupts the new area. For example, a shaft straight down into the center of a room would avoid destroying painted walls.

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